Nigeria 2027 Race: New INEC Nominations and the APC’s 12-State Campaign Blueprint

Preparations for Nigeria’s 2027 general election are accelerating on administrative and political fronts. According to a report by Channels Television, President Bola Tinubu has submitted six nominees to fill vacancies at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Simultaneously, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) published a presidential tour schedule indicating that Tinubu plans to personally headline rallies across 12 strategic states.

Fresh Appointments at the Electoral Commission

The nominations, submitted to the Senate for screening and confirmation, cover four national commissioners and two resident electoral commissioners (RECs). According to the Presidency, the selections address vacancies created by expiring terms. The nominees for national commissioner positions include:

• Professor Mustapha Aliu representing the North-West;
• Bashir Muhammed Umar representing the North-Central;
• Oluwatoyin Babalola representing the South-West (presently serving as Osun REC);
• Dr. Bala Bila representing the North-East, who was put forward for reappointment.

For resident electoral commissioners, Tinubu nominated Dr. Samuel Akinjide Akinleye for Ekiti State and Zahradden Basiru Sanusi for Jigawa State. Channels Television noted that these appointments arrive roughly three months before the presidential ballot, coinciding with active administrative reviews over candidate eligibility disputes. While legislative scrutiny is anticipated, the outlet observed that no evidence suggests the selections aim to benefit any specific political platform.

Targeting Former Opposition Strongholds

Alongside the administrative nominations, the APC detailed a campaign schedule focused on personal appearances by the president. Rallies are slated to begin on October 24 in Kaduna and wrap up on January 9, 2027, with a concluding gathering in Lagos.

The itinerary covers 12 states: Kaduna, Rivers, Plateau, Oyo, Borno, Enugu, Bauchi, Sokoto, Delta, Kano, Adamawa, and Lagos. Notably, opposition presidential candidates secured victories in nine of these 12 states during the 2023 contest. The travel blueprint highlights notable strategic regions:

• North-West and North-East: Key battlegrounds include Kano, where high voting volumes shaped the previous cycle, alongside Adamawa and Borno, the regional bases of prominent political figures.
• Southern Battlegrounds: Visits are scheduled for Rivers and Delta in the South-South, Enugu in the South-East, and Oyo and Lagos in the South-West.

Channels Television emphasized that while the itinerary clarifies where the ruling party intends to deploy resources, campaign stops do not equate to verified shifts in voter alignment.

Broader Electoral Picture

Other major political groups—including the PDP, Labour Party, NNPP, and ADC—remain under observation, with no major adjustments yet documented regarding their candidate coalitions or confirmed polling baselines. Unresolved nomination disputes persist across several gubernatorial tickets. Meanwhile, an October 24 deadline set by INEC for political parties to formally address omitted candidates represents an upcoming institutional milestone as the election calendar unfolds.

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p class=”vbna-source-note”>Source: Channels Television

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